Spacing device for punching-machines.



J. K. THOMPSON. SPACING DEVICE FOR PUNOHING MACHINES,-

- APPLICATION FILED snmazz, 1913.

1, 105,, 1 1, 3, Patented July 28,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WlT NE 555 v V NVENTOR Y VMM /M,7z@

J. K. THOMPSON. SPAGING DEVICE FOR PUNOHING MACHINES.

} APPLICATION FILED SBPTQZZ, 1913. 1,105, 1 1 3 Patanted July 28, 1914., I v

2 SEEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES I To all whom it may concern: 1 i

UNIT ED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

" JAY-K. 'rnomrs'on, or GKBYyINDIAhTA.

1,105,113. Specification of smcmc nsvrcs roe ronc rme-iuaenmns.

Letters as. Patented July 28, 1914..

Application filed September 22,1913; Seiial No. 791,020.

lie it known that I, JAY K. THoMPson, [a citizen of the United States, residing at Gary, inthe cdunty of Lake and State oi Indiana, have invented a new and useful Spacing Device for Punchmg-Machmes, of"

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to'the class of devices used in connection with a punch in locating the position of the holes to be punched in the web and the flangescf beams; channels and other structural" shapes prearatory to fabricating such shapes, and the nvention more particularly relates to a spacing device for use in positionin the shape relative to the punch in order to ocate the holes without'the necessit of marking the location ofsuch holes on t eshape pre- 'tape forming part 0 scribed hereinafter.- a Referring to liminary to its being punched.

Heretofore-in forming the holes in structural shapes it has been the practice to form tem lets in which holes are bored at the desire distances apart and to then applythe templets to the beams, and mark and center punch the location of the holes on the beams through the medium of the templet after which the holes were punched as marked.-

One object of my invention is to provide an improved spacing device having novelmeans whereby the necessity of making such templet's and-of marking the beams preparatory to punching the holes therein is avoided. and overcome. I c

Another'object of my invention is to provide a spacing device having novel means whereby thelocationof a series of holes isdetermined in one direction such as the length of the, shape without laying out or m'arkingsuch location on the shape.

Anfurther object of my invention is to provides. beam spacer adapted for-use with a punch and having novel means whereby the fmy improved a paratus is manipulated in the shapen'iar ing operations.

' Still further objects of my invention (will.- appear as the invention is more fully dethe accompanying drawings forming part of this specification Figure 1 j isa side elevation of a punching'machine showing a spacing device as constructed and; arranged and applied'for use thereon in accordance with myffnvention. Fig.2 is an end or front elevation of the apparatus:

' of the same. the section beingtaken on the 'irregular line IIL-III of Fig. 2' showing the "marking tape forming part .of my'improved spacing device; as attached to a'beam v1n .the beam punching operations. Fig. 4

pai'atus showing the application of my invention in punching the flanges of I-beams.

In the drawings the numeral 2 designates the frame orhousing of a beam punch havg a bottom anvil block 3 and a reciprocating ram 4,'the ram 4 also having an anvil block 5 thereon in which a punch or plu rality of punches 6 is adjustably secured. The. construction of the punching mechanism, not in itself forming part of this in-;

vention, is not further described.

Fastened on theside of the housing 2 at -one side thereof is a bent arm 7 having a shaft 8 rotatablysecured on its lower end is a side elevation of a portion of the apand removably secured on the shaft 8 soas and around the movable pulley 16, to which a counterweight 17 is secured, and then passing upwardly the cord 12 is attached by its other end to the top of the punch housing 2. Also fixed to one side of the punch housmg 2 is a bent arm 18 on one end of, which an index pin or pointer 19 is secured, and attached to the pointer is a guide wheel 20 of-the housing 2. and extends downwardly which isemployed to assist in maintaining the tape used in the punching operations in position on the upper face of the shape in which the holes are being punched.

on which thepointer 19 is positioned is a pair of strippers 21 which prevent'the beam from rising more than a limited amount when the punches ar'e withdrawn.

In the'construction shown in Fig. 4 of drawings the spacing device is the same as in the preceding figures, and'the-only change made I is in the construction of the anvil blocks 3 and 5 and in. the number of punches shown in Fig. 1;. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan On the opposite side of the'punchto that i 6 employed' the construction of Fight being primarily intended for use in punching holes in the flanges of beam shapes instead of in the web portion of the beams as in Figs. 1, 2 and 8.

li ound upon the spool 9 is a' steel tape 22, which preferabi y dii'l'ers from the usual steel tape in that it is not graduated in feet and inches, but has plain surfaces. The uppermost surface of the tape is provided with marks at suitable intervals in the length thereof which are spaced the desired distances apart at which it is desired to the holes in the length of the beam.

As the gage lines, or distance between the parallel rows of holes formed in a beam are usually standard, the punches 6 will be adjusted in the anvil blocks to form the holes on the desired gage lines so that in punching the holes in the beams it is only necessary to locate the holes lengthwise relatively to the ends of the beam being punched.

A series of the'tapes 22 will be kept on hand which are variously graduated usually by temporary markings so that by removing the spool 9 with the tape 22 thereon and replacing it with another spool. having a tape marked as required, successive beams or lots of beams can be punched with holes of vary-- ing spacing. The free end of the tape 22 is provided with a hook portion 23 which isarranged to embrace the end of the beams 2 being punched and which will hold the tape" on the beam and cause it to be unwound as the beam is moved lengthwise within the throat of the punching machine in the successive punching operations.

In the operation of my improved apparatus a spool 9 having a tape 22 which is graduated or marked in the desired manner is secured on the shaft 8 so as to rotate therewith. The punches 6 having been adjusted to the desired gage, the hook end 23 of the tape 22 wound upon the spool 9 is caused to engage with the end of a beam 2% which is to be punched. The beam 24- is then moved lengthwise within the'throat of the punching machine until the index finger-or pointer 19 coincides with the first graduation on the tape and the beam having then been brought to rest, the punching machine is actuated to advance the punches 6 and thereby form a hole or row of holes in the web of the beam 24. The reciprocating ram of the punching machine then being retracted, the beam 24 is moved forwardly until the next graduation on the tape 22, which moves lengthwise with the beam, is in register with the index finger 19 when the machine is again caused to reciprocate the ram l and form another series or row of holes in the beam. moved lengthwise, from right to left in Fig. l the tape 22 is gradually unwound from the spool 9 and this unwinding operation tates the shaft 8 and causes the cord 12 to punch As the beam is 12 is wound upon this spool, the counterweight 17 is raised or lifted, and in this way thedesired tension is maintained on the tape during the punching operations. As the above described operations are repeated the tape is further unwound from its spool 9. Vihen the beam has been punched with the desirednuuiber of holes the hook end 23 of the tape 22 is disconnected from the end of the beam 24; and the counterweight 17 then acts to rotate the shaft 8, which turns the spool 10 and winds the tape 22 upon the spool 9 in readiness for another punching operation. The above described operations are then repeated with as many beams as it is desired to duplicate, and as ordinarily in punching structural shapes there is a large number of beams which are exact duplicates as to punching, after one tape and its spool is positioned on the shaft 8 it will be used again and again for a considerable period of time. lVhen it is desired to punch the holes in the beams to a different spacing, the tape on the punch will be removed and a new tape graduated or marked in the desired manner will be substituted therefor and the above described operations will then be again re peated.

In using the punching machine of Fig. l the operations will be carried out in exactly the same manner as has been. described, except that the punches will form the holes in the dances of the beams instead of the webportion thereof.

The advantages of my invention 'will be apparent to those skilled in the art. By the use of my improved spacing device the necessity of making templets or of marking the holes on the surfaces'of the beams preparatory to punching the holes are avoided and overcome. The apparatus is simple and can be applied to existing punches at small cost.

Modifications in the construction and ar rangement of the parts may be made without departing from my invention as defined in the claims.

I claim 1. In a punching machine, a spacing device comprising in combination an index finger on the punching machine and a graduated tape cooperating therewith to determine the location of holes to be punched, means on the end of the tape engaging with the materials being punched to move the tape therewith, a rotating reel on which the tape is wound and unwound in punching, and means for rotating the reel arranged to yieldingly resist rotation thereof in unwinding the tape from the reel to thereby maintain the tape under tension in the tape unwinding operations.

2. In a punching machinepa spacing device comprising in combination an index uate l tape cooperatin therewith to determine the l cation of holes to be punched, means on the end of the tape engaging with the materials being punched to move the tape therewith, a rotating reel on which the tape is Wound and unwound in punching,

mine the location of holes to be punched,

means on the end of the tape engaging with the materials being punched to move the tape therewith, a rotating reel on which the tape is wound and unwound in punching, and means for rotating the reel arranged to yieldingly resist rotation thereof in unwinding the tape from the reel to thereby main tain the tape under tension in the tape unwinding operations, said means being arranged to rotate the reel and wind the tape thereon after completing the punching operations.

4C. In a punching machine, a spacing device comprising in combination an index finger on the punching machine and a graduated tape coeperating therewith to determine the locationof holes to be punched, means on the end of thetape engaging with the. materials being punched to move the tape therewith, a rotating reel on which the tape is wound and unwound in punching, an arm forming a guide engaging with and holding the tape in position in the tape unwinding operations, and means for rotating the reel arranged to yieldingly resist rotation thereof in unwinding the tape from the reel to thereby maintain the tape under tension in the tape unwinding operations.

In a punching machine, a spacing device comprising in combination an index finger on the punching machine and a graduated tape cooperating therewith to deter-- mine the location of holes to be punched, means on the end of the tape engaging with the materials beingrpunched to move the tape therewith, a rotating reel on which the tape is wound and unwound in punching, a shaft on which said reel is removably secured to rotate therewith, a second reel on said shaft, a flexible connection on the second reel, and a. counterweight on the flexible connection arranged to be lifted by and maintain the tape under tension in the unwinding operations of the tape.

6. In a punching machine, a. spacing device comprising in combination an index finger on the punching machine and a graduated tape cooperating therewith to determine the location of holes to be punched, means on the end of-the tape engaging with the materials being punched to move the tape therewith, a rotating reel on which the tape is wound and unwound in punching, a

shaft on which said reel is removably secured to'rotate therewith, a second reel on said shaft, a flexible connection on the second reel, and a counterweight on the flexible connection arranged to be lifted by and maintain the tape under tension in the unwinding operations of the tape, and wind the tape upon its reel when the tape is de taohed from the material being punched.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

JAY K. THOMPSON. lVitnesses GEO. M. HUNTER, C. H. MERRILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0. 

